Proposed Quick Chek hearings continue

WOODLAND PARK – The board of adjustment last week heard debate about a proposed convenience store and gas station for Browertown Road. Proponents say the Quick Chek will enhance the community, opponents however say the Browertown Road location is just not the best spot.

The board did not decide on site plans Quick Chek Corp. representatives presented at the Aug. 23 meeting, however they scheduled a special meeting for Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. to further consider preliminary and final site plan use and bulk variances for 350 Browertown Rd.

Jeffrey Albanese, a real estate manager for Quick Chek Corp., told the board that the new store would bring 30 to 40 jobs to the community and that they would provide 24-7 service. He said they provide groceries, deli and are well known for their "20 minute coffee dump," a store policy to replace their coffee every 20 minutes.

"We think it’s a positive to have a place like that to shop in," Albanese said, adding that Quick Chek is a family owned store that does not franchise. Albanese also said they support local sports teams, donate to first aid squads and contribute to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

"We feel it’s important and always have felt it’s important to give back to the community in some sense," he said.

G. Dolph Corradino, an attorney for Levco 46 Associates, who owns the shopping center adjacent to the proposed Quick Chek site, questioned Albanese about suggested site requirements for new store locations that Quick Chek Corp. posts on its website.

"It says the first requirement is a two acre minimum site with gasoline," he said, adding that the Browertown Road site only is 1.01 acres.

Albanese however said that this is a "suggested site criteria" posted and not required site criteria. He said that the corporation has built sites to specifications they are planning for Browertown Road and that they feel area traffic and demographics correspond favorably with the plan they have for that site.

And those plans are detailed.

Jeffrey Martell, a civil engineer, presented renderings of the proposed Quick Chek and described in depth the corporation’s plans for that site. There will be six seats for dining inside the store, eight seats for dining outside the store, six islands for 12 gas pumps – two of them for diesel, Martell said. He said they have proposed 33 parking spaces, which, he said, meets the zoning requirements for 31 parking spaces.

The civil engineer also said they expect the store and gas station will get between eight and 10 tractor-trailer deliveries per week and about five box-truck deliveries per day. Martell said they would limit the times of those deliveries to between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. to avoid conflict with customer traffic.

He said they are proposing a 25 foot turning lane on Browertown Road that will go into the Quick Check and will accommodate the trucks. He said this turning lane will "shadow" the one that goes into the Capital One bank across the street. As per county regulations, Martell said, the trucks will be prohibited from turning left onto Browertown Road.

Martell said that any development on the property will require them to change the grade of the property by 30 feet, something that will require they place a "modular block retaining wall" on the north, west and south side of the property. It’s something Quick Chek Corp. wants to make aesthetically appealing.

"It has that normal earth tone – dark gray," he said. Martell told the board that, for safety purposes, they would top that retaining wall with a six foot fence that would be 25 feet in length. He said this fence would require a variance as existing regulations only permit fences that are three feet high. Martell added that they would be willing to settle for a four foot high fence.

Quick Chek Corp. is also asking for a variance that would allow them to install an additional sign. Existing regulations only allow for two signs and the corporation wants three.

"We feel we have three primary facades and have more or less geared our signage package in that capacity," Martell said.

He also accounted for storm water management. Martell said underground "infiltration chambers" will carry water through their property owner to the west to a stream that flows into the Peckman River. He said those chambers will be next to underground gas tanks, but since the tanks are "double walled and in full compliance with state regulations," neither the tanks nor the infiltration chambers will adversely impact each other.

Quick Chek Corp. also has plans for decorative lighting.

"What we propose is aesthetically pleasing," Martell said. He said the lights would have a glaze to eliminate glare. However, Martell said, they would be willing to comply with borough recommendations for lighting.

Previous to the meeting, borough officials had proposed landscaping near the front door of the convenience store.

However, Martell said, Quick Chek Corp. opposed such a proposal because "landscaping close to the front door essentially becomes a trash can," and can pose a fire hazard. He said people can easily drop a lit cigarette into that landscaped area close to the building and start a fire. Martell instead proposed a "heart-scape" or a "raised curb."